Observation platform for performing structured communications

Abstract

Using structured communications within an organization or retail environment, the users establish a fabric of communications that allows external users of devices or applications to integrate in a way that is non-disruptive, measured and structured. An observation platform may be used for performing structured communications. A signal is received from a first communication device at a second communication device associated with a computer system, wherein the computer system is associated with an organization, wherein a first characteristic of the signal corresponds to an audible source and a second characteristic of the signal corresponds to information indicative of a geographic position of the first communication device.

1 . A method for performing structured communications in an observation platform, comprising:
 receiving a signal from a first communication device at a second communication device associated with a computer system, wherein said computer system is associated with an organization, wherein a first characteristic of said signal corresponds to an audible source and a second characteristic of said signal corresponds to information indicative of a geographic position of said first communication device;   identifying that a user is associated with said first communication device at said computer system;   converting said audible source of said signal to text at said computer system;   deriving a query related to said organization based on said text at said computer system;   compiling a response to said query at said computer system, wherein said response represents said organization; and   sending said response to said first communication device, wherein said response is audible at said first communication device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said identifying that said user is associated with said first communication device further recognizes an identity of said user. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said identifying that said user is associated with said first communication device further comprises:
 associating a prior user history of said user with said first communication device.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 relaying said signal and said response to a third communication device associated with a person representing said organization.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 receiving a second response at said second communication device from said third communication device; and   relaying said second response to said first communication device.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4  wherein said computer system initiates a virtual voice connection between said user and said person representing said organization. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4  wherein said person representing said organization is selected from the group of persons consisting of: a consultant, an employee, an associate, a sales associate, and a manager. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said compiling said response further comprises said computer system accessing a data base. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said organization is selected from the group of organizations consisting of: a business, a retail environment, a school, a military organization, a prison organization, customer service, manufacturing organization, a factory, an event, and a disaster response team. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said first communication device is personal property of said user. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said first communication device is issued to said user upon entering said organization. 
     
     
         12 . A computer-usable storage medium having instructions embodied therein that when executed cause a computer system to perform a method for performing structured communications in an observation platform, said method comprising:
 receiving a signal from a first communication device at a second communication device associated with a computer system, wherein said computer system is associated with an organization, wherein a first characteristic of said signal corresponds to an audible source and a second characteristic of said signal corresponds to information indicative of a geographic position of said first communication device;   identifying that a user is associated with said first communication device at said computer system;   converting said audible source of said signal to text at said computer system;   recognizing a query related to said organization based on said text at said computer system;   compiling a response to said query at said computer system; and   sending said response to said first communication device, wherein said response is audible at said first communication device.   
     
     
         13 . A method for performing structured communications in an observation platform, comprising:
 receiving a signal from a first communication device at a second communication device associated with a computer system, wherein said computer system is associated with an organization, wherein a first characteristic of said signal corresponds to an audible source and a second characteristic of said signal corresponds to information indicative of a geographic position of said first communication device;   identifying that a user is associated with said first communication device at said computer system;   deriving a query from said signal related to said organization, at said computer system;   determining a person representing said organization to respond to said query, wherein said determining is based on a factor related to said person representing said organization; and   forwarding said signal to a third communication device associated with said person representing said organization.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising:
 determining that no response has been received at said second communication device from said third communication device; and 
 forwarding said signal to a fourth communication device associated with said person representing said organization. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said forwarding said signal is to a plurality of communication devices associated with a plurality of persons representing said organization. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein said factor related to said person representing said organization is selected from the group of factors consisting of: availability of said person representing said organization, status of said person representing said organization, geographic location of said person representing said organization, proximity of said person representing said organization to said user, knowledge level of said person representing said organization related to said query, and ability of said person representing said organization to respond to said query. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising:
 receiving a response from said third communication device at said computer system; and 
 forwarding said response to said first communication device. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13  wherein said computer system initiates a virtual voice connection between said user and said person representing said organization. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13  wherein said person representing said organization is selected from the group of persons consisting of: a consultant, an employee, an associate, a sales associate, and a manager. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said identifying that said user is associated with said first communication device further recognizes an identity of said user. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said identifying that said user is associated with said first communication device further comprises:
 associating a prior user history of said user with said first communication device.   
     
     
         22 . A computer-usable storage medium having instructions embodied therein that when executed cause a computer system to perform a method for performing structured communications in an observation platform, said method comprising:
 receiving a signal from a first communication device at a second communication device associated with a computer system, wherein said computer system is associated with an organization, wherein a first characteristic of said signal corresponds to an audible source and a second characteristic of said signal corresponds to information indicative of a geographic position of said first communication device;   identifying that a user is associated with said first communication device at said computer system;   deriving a query from said signal related to said organization, at said computer system;   determining a personnel of said organization to respond to said query, wherein said determining is based on a factor related to said personnel; and   forwarding said signal to a third communication device associated with said personnel.   
     
     
         23 . A method for performing structured communications in an observation platform, comprising:
 receiving a signal from a first communication device at a second communication device associated with a computer system, wherein said computer system is associated with an organization, wherein a first characteristic of said signal corresponds to an audible source and a second characteristic of said signal corresponds to information indicative of a geographic position of said first communication device;   identifying that a user is associated with said first communication device at said computer system;   deriving a query from said signal related to said organization, at said computer system;   determining a plurality of persons representing said organization to respond to said query, wherein said determining is based on a factor related to said plurality of persons representing said organization; and   forwarding said signal to a plurality of communication devices associated with said plurality of persons representing said organization.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising:
 receiving a response from a communication device associated with one of said plurality of persons representing said organization at said second communication device; 
 forwarding said response from said second communication device to said first communication device; and 
 opening a communication channel between said first communication device and said communication device associated with one of said plurality of persons. 
 
     
     
         25 . An observation platform for structured communications, said observation platform comprising:
 a first communication device for sending a signal, wherein a first characteristic of said signal corresponds to an audible source and a second characteristic of said signal corresponds to information indicative of a geographic position of said first communication device;   a second communication device associated with an organization and for receiving said signal from said first communication device; and   a computer system associated with said second communication device for:
 identifying that a user is associated with said first communication device at said computer system; 
 converting said audible source of said signal to text at said computer system; 
 deriving a query related to said organization based on said text at said computer system; 
 compiling a response to said query at said computer system; and 
 sending said response to said first communication device, wherein said response is audible at said first communication device. 
   
     
     
         26 . The observation platform of  claim 25  further comprising:
 a third communication device associated with a person representing said organization for receiving said signal forwarded from said second communication device and for sending a response to said second communication device for forwarding to said first communication device. 
 
     
     
         27 . The observation platform of  claim 25 , wherein said identifying that said user is associated with said first communication device further recognizes an identity of said user. 
     
     
         28 . The observation platform of  claim 25 , wherein said identifying that said user is associated with said first communication device further comprises:
 associating a prior user history of said user with said first communication device.   
     
     
         29 . A method for sending notifications in an observation platform, comprising:
 receiving a signal from a first communication device at a second communication device associated with a computer system, wherein said computer system is associated with an organization, wherein a first characteristic of said signal corresponds to information indicative of a geographic position of said first communication device;   identifying that a user is associated with said first communication device at said computer system;   accessing a history of activities of said user associated with said organization;   deriving a geographic location of said first communication device in said organization at said computer system; and   sending a notification to said first communication device wherein said notification is based on said history of activity and said geographic location of said first communication device.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein said identifying that said user is associated with said first communication device further recognizes an identity of said user. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein said identity of said user is recognized based on identifying information sent by said user. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 29  wherein said notification is a coupon for an item located in proximity to said geographic location of said first communication device. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32  wherein said user has purchased said item previously. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 29  wherein said notification is selected from the group of notifications consisting of: an audible message, a text message and a text message with an audible alert. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 29  wherein said history of activities is employed to connect communications from said user to a person representing said organization who has interacted with said user previously. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 29  further comprising:
 delivering at least a portion of said history of activities to said first communication device. 
 
     
     
         37 . A computer-usable storage medium having instructions embodied therein that when executed cause a computer system to perform a method for using structured communications in an observation platform, said method comprising:
 receiving a signal from a first communication device at a second communication device associated with a computer system, wherein said computer system is associated with an organization, wherein a first characteristic of said signal corresponds to information indicative of a geographic position of said first communication device;   identifying that a user is associated with said first communication device at said computer system;   accessing a history of activities of said user associated with said organization;   deriving a geographic location of said first communication device in said organization at said computer system; and   sending a notification to said first communication device wherein said notification is based on said history of activity and said geographic location of said first communication device.   
     
     
         38 . A method for performing structured communications in an observation platform, comprising:
 receiving a signal from a first communication device at a second communication device associated with a computer system, wherein said signal comprises a mandatory message for a third communication device;   forwarding said signal with said mandatory message to said third communication device associated with a user such that a receipt of said mandatory message at said third communication device will lock features of said third communication device until said mandatory message has been acknowledged by said user; and   receiving an acknowledgement of said mandatory message from said third communication device at said second communication device.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , further comprising:
 forwarding said acknowledgement of said mandatory message from said second communication device to said first communication device.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38  further comprising:
 forwarding said signal with said mandatory message to a plurality of communication devices associated with a plurality of users such that a receipt of said mandatory message at each of said plurality of communication devices will lock features of each of said plurality of communication devices until said mandatory message has been acknowledged by each of said plurality of users. 
 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 38  further comprising:
 tracking a characteristic of said forwarding said signal with said mandatory message. 
 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41  wherein said characteristic is selected from the group of characteristics consisting of: a time said mandatory message was forwarded to said third communication device, a time said mandatory message was accessed at said third communication device by said user, and a location of said third communication device when said mandatory message was accessed. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 38  wherein said acknowledgement comprises data that said mandatory message was accessed by said user. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 38  wherein said acknowledgement comprises an acknowledgement message from said third communication device created by said user wherein said acknowledgement message is selected from the group of acknowledgement messages consisting of: an audible message, a text message and a text message with an audible alert. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 38  wherein said acknowledgement is automatically sent by said third communication device upon said user accessing said mandatory message. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 38  wherein said mandatory message is selected from the group of mandatory message consisting of: an audible message, a text message and a text message with an audible alert.